http://chaipilgrimage.com A Soul-Nourishing Tea Adventure through Nepal, India & Beyond Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:10:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en CHAI • SHAI \ CHI-SHI\ 1. Chai (tea) & all the paraphenelia attached to a tea service. In Pakistan and India, this includes street food, such as samosas & pakoras. 2. Also used to describe a social gathering place, a time for interesting conversation & even better food! The first time I ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2012/01/07/chai-shai/ Ayurveda is the ancient science of India that teaches we are all a part of Nature.  As Nature, we are in a living relationship with everything around us.  Each moment, we are being affected by everything in our environment.  By recognizing environmental influences and adjusting our lifestyle accordingly, we can ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/11/30/ayurveda-fall-and-vata/ OK, well not exactly 100% homegrown chai, but fennel is a good start. One small step to fulfilling an ongoing daydream of walking outside and harvesting tea leaves, cinnamon bark, cardamon pods, ginger root, clove, pepper, tulsi, saffron and fennel seed. This summer was the second year for our modest but ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/11/25/homegrown-chai/ Jenny created this Taj mostly from memory -- Security only allowed a pencil and held her markers, pens and paints at the gate. The Taj Mahal is an opulent architectural eulogy expressing the Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for the most beloved of his wives.  The untimely death of Mumtaz Mahal occurred ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/11/19/the-taj/ The Central Government of India pumps hoards of money into Sikkim’s roadway infrastructure because its border with China compels them to keep a formidable military presence.  Most of the main roads are paved and well maintained so that armed vehicles can move freely throughout the state.  This, however, does not ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/11/15/hurry-burry-spoils-the-curry/ Namaste everyone!  After taking an extended break from posting, we’re back, chai’d up and ready for a long winter in the mountains brewing up some musings on masala chai, India and Nepal and anything else related to sipping tea and travel.  We hope to provide you with some interesting bits ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/11/11/a-chai-revival/ Thanks everyone for your spice comments. They were fun to read. Since Tulsi is one of our favorite chai ingredients for those EXTRA special batches, we asked Miss Tulsi to pick a name from the chai cup. And the winner of the spice print give-away is... LYNDSAY...AND --since Tulsi was so ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/02/22/spice-print-winner/ While traveling in India we collected discarded matchboxes on the roads. There are so many, and it’s sorta like trading cards among travelers. These, along with the countless, amazing retro designs from India’s past (recorded in the beautiful book, LIGHT ON INDIA by Warren Dotz), inspired me ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/02/05/nine-chai-spices-art-raffle/ There are many factors to consider when selecting masala chai spices.  Earlier we discussed how the Gunas, or qualities, that are inherent in the spices determine the effect that it will have on our being.  But there is another level of quality that is paramount when we embark on making ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/02/01/chai-spices-and-prana/ Ayurveda, “ the knowledge of life,” is the ancient healing system from India that illuminates how an understanding of one’s interconnectedness with the natural universe is the key to a life of balance within the body, senses, mind and soul.  It reveals that we exist in a creation of essential ... http://chaipilgrimage.com/2011/01/27/chaiyurveda-101/